PAWS Now wants to help Marshall County dogs

Friday, November 11, 2011

In an interview before the Animal Control committee meeting Tuesday, PAWS Now leader Tisha Poling explained what the group stands for, and what it has been doing lately.

When local dog lovers started getting involved with encouraging adoptions from the Animal Shelter, located on Woodside Avenue in Lewisburg, they called themselves LASA - Lewisburg Animal Shelter Adoptions.

Now, "LASA is PAWS," said Poling. "PAWS Now" is the official name of the 501(c)(3) charity that is being formed. It stands for Promoting Animal Welfare in the South Now.

"We want to deal with the bigger issues," Poling said. "We have sort of pulled back from the weekly frenzy (to get dogs adopted before they are euthanized) to work on bigger-picture items."

Poling said she and her fellow board members found they were "too exhausted to do it all."

She said they want to work on "alternative ways to control the homeless animal population" in Marshall County. This can mean encouraging people to have their pets spayed or neutered, and providing affordable ways to get this done.

PAWS Now also wants to make the shelter safer and more sanitary for both dogs and humans and is working on a four-phase plan of improvements.

Other volunteers who work with shelter dogs on a regular basis are Jacki Moss and Terri Cox. Moss has been supplying the Tribune with lists of adoptable dogs, while Cox has been very active encouraging adoptions.

"Terri Cox is magnificent at marketing these dogs," Poling said. "She's had everything to do with the adoptions getting done."

News about PAWS Now can be found on their Facebook page, including a link for donations. "Every dollar collected in this ChipIn account will go towards the Phase 2 of the renovation." Lewisburg Animal Shelter Adoptions also has a Facebook page - check it out for more news of adoptable dogs, and of progress at the shelter.